Urinary Calculi (Water Belly)
Water belly, technically known as urinary calculi, refers to deposits that are in the urinary tract, usually found in male cattle and sheep. The deposits block urine from flowing, and if there is prolonged blockage it can result in the rupture of the urethra causing the urine to flood into the surrounding tissues.
While there are other types of urinary calculi, there are 2 that tend to be more common. Both are mineral in nature and also most common in cattle and sheep. The first type is phosphatic and is normally formed when at a feedlot. The second is a siliceous and typically occurs in range animals.
Diagnosis of water belly can be difficult because the symptoms can often be confused with other maladies and the symptoms can vary from mild to severe when the urinary passages are obstructed. The most common symptoms of water belly are an arched back, stamping their feet, and tail twitching, and kicking at their abdomen. The animal......
Join Now or Login to view the rest of this paper.
Approximate Word Count: 448
Approximate Pages: 2 (260 words per double-spaced page) |